Despite protestations from China, Malacañang on Friday said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered an investigation into the alleged interference by China in the upcoming May midterm elections.

This, after National Security Council (NSC) Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya revealed during a hearing of the Senate Special Committee on Philippine Maritime and Admiralty Zones Thursday that there were indications that information ops were being conducted in the Philippines allegedly by Chinese-state sponsored individuals.

The China Foreign Ministry, however, denied Beijing was interfering in the Philippine elections.

“China follows the principle of non-interference in other countries’ domestic affairs. We have no interest in interfering in the Philippine elections,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said.

In a press briefing, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said Marcos issued his directive after the NSC’s revelation at the Senate.

“This is truly alarming and we will intensify, at the behest of the administration, a thorough investigation so that we can find out the truth about this,” she said.

Castro said the President was made aware of the situation prior to his departure for the Vatican to attend the burial of Pope Francis who died last Easter Monday.

Local proxies

In the same Senate probe, committee chairperson Senate Majority Floor Leader Francis Tolentino asked if the interference operations supported political candidates that favored China and discredited candidates that went against it.

Malaya replied in the affirmative.

“Yes, there are indications of that,” the NSC official said.

Malaya said the indicators were certain narratives that allegedly came from Beijing and were amplified by third-party individuals or local proxies in the Philippines.

He cited the ongoing Balikatan military exercises with the United States as an example.

“You’ll see narratives coming from Beijing that the Balikatan is a threat to regional peace and stability and you’ll also hear that kind of statement coming from local proxies who follow the script coming from Beijing,” he said.

Malaya said the NSC was able to identify the local proxies in the country.

In a radio interview, Malaya said the next step of the investigation will be handled by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

“The next step now is for the NBI to investigate. It’s now the NBI’s role to look into InfinitUs and verify the claims revealed by Senator Tolentino yesterday,” Malaya said.

Alyansa bets echo Marcos’ call

The administration-backed Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas senatorial candidates echoed the call of President Marcos, seeking swift action to investigate the matter.

Campaign manager, Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco, said this alarming threat to national security warrants a prompt response from the authorities, as failure to do so would affect the 12 May election.

“Disclosures by the country’s top security officials on possible foreign interference in the upcoming elections are truly alarming and concerning,” Tiangco said.

“We urge the proper authorities to investigate these reports with urgency, hold accountable those responsible, and protect the sanctity of our elections,” he added.

“Our future must be determined by us alone. The right of every Filipino to freely choose their leaders — without manipulation, pressure, or foreign influence — is non-negotiable,” Tiangco said.

The 11-member administration Alyansa ticket stressed that the issue transcends politics and strikes at the core of Philippine sovereignty.

“This is not just a political issue. It is a matter of national security,” Tiangco said.

‘None of us’

The senatorial hopefuls on the administration ticket affirmed that they were not supportive of China and had not received any form of support ahead of the elections.

The Alyansa ticket includes reelectionist senators Francis Tolentino, Ramon Revilla, Pia Cayetano, Lito Lapid, Rep. Camille Villar, former senators Vicente Sotto III, Panfilo Lacson, Manny Pacquiao, Makati Mayor Abby Binay, Erwin Tulfo and former Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr.

Financed by China?

Administration lawmakers in the House of Representatives had implied that some senatorial candidates may be financed by China, citing their continued silence on crucial issues pertaining to the West Philippine Sea.

The Philippine Coast Guard told a recent House hearing that vloggers and social media influencers also had a hand in a “coordinated and malicious” online campaign to discredit the Philippines and defend China by disseminating disinformation regarding the West Philippine Sea.

The Philippines and China are embroiled in a maritime standoff over the hotly contested WPS. China asserts sovereignty over the entire South China Sea, which overlaps the WPS, despite a 2016 arbitral ruling that deemed its assertion baseless. The ruling affirmed the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone in the WPS.

Notwithstanding a pact to deescalate the maritime tensions in July last year, China remains persistently aggressive in the contested waterway, firing water cannons and military-grade lasers at Philippine vessels and harassing Filipino military personnel and fishermen.

Senators weigh in

In the Senate, Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros expressed concern over the recent actions of China and urged Philippine law enforcement agencies to dig deeper into the matter of disinformation ops as it “undermines the integrity not just of our national elections, but also of our democracy.”

She also urged the Commission on Elections to look into the issue as foreign interference during elections is an election offense.

Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada aired the same concern, stressing that foreign interference in the electoral process is a “serious affront” to the country’s sovereignty.